Deadman Canyon Loop

Near the grave is this tower, which makes quite a headstone. Note the glacier trim line.

Deadman

Deadman Canyon Loop - By D.W.Donehoo (All rights reserved)

In this privileged location resides the dead man's grave of Deadman Canyon. What an astounding memorial tomb this is for a man who, if he had died in the lowlands, would of died an unknown and would of been buried in some nondescript common grave. A little ways off the trail to the left (east) is the gravesite. It has a low fence enclosing the burial plot, with a wooden grave marker that reads: "Here reposes Alfred Moniere, sheepherder, mountain man, 18-- to 1887.". His story is somewhat interesting and here is the most common version: while herding sheep (a disaster for the Sierra and a local tragedy for the meadows and flowers of Deadman and Cloud canyons due to the damage done by grazing sheep), Mr. Moniere fell ill. His partner made him as comfortable as possible and headed back to Fresno to fetch a doctor. Two weeks later, the rescue party found the last earthly remains of Alfred Moniere, and interred him there in Deadman Canyon (thereby giving the canyon a name).

The grave site is near one of the many large meadows of Deadman Canyon. What a place to be buried!

These words appeared in the Mount Whitney Club Journal in 1904, "Only a poor Portuguese sheep-herder lies buried there, but no Pharaoh nor king of ancient or modern times has a mausoleum half so magnificent".